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Managing Water Resources to Adapt to Climate Change: Facing Uncertainty and Scarcity in a Changing Context

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  • Luis Garrote

    (Technical University of Madrid)

Abstract

Some of the most significant future efforts in water resources management will be devoted to climate change adaptation. Climate change adaptation is of special concern in regions facing water scarcity where water management is already challenged by many problems. This paper is a review of current knowledge on approaches to address water issues under uncertainty in water-scarce regions, identifying specific policy actions for climate change adaptation. The focus is on regions, like the Mediterranean, California or Australia, where water resources are well developed and have become an essential part of socioeconomic activities but are currently facing significant challenges due to their dependence on water availability to maintain living standards. We provide an overview of the expected impacts of climate change on water resources and discuss management responses based on peer-reviewed studies published over the past three decades. The adaptation choices cover a wide range of options, from adaptive demand management to utilization of remaining marginal water sources. The intensification of successful measures already applied in the past is still viewed as a solution to reduce climate impacts. However, the emphasis is progressively being placed on sustainability, developing and extending the water management paradigm to include not only technical and economic criteria, but also ecological and social considerations.

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  • Luis Garrote, 2017. "Managing Water Resources to Adapt to Climate Change: Facing Uncertainty and Scarcity in a Changing Context," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(10), pages 2951-2963, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:waterr:v:31:y:2017:i:10:d:10.1007_s11269-017-1714-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s11269-017-1714-6
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    19. Mike Spiliotis & Luis Mediero & Luis Garrote, 2016. "Optimization of Hedging Rules for Reservoir Operation During Droughts Based on Particle Swarm Optimization," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(15), pages 5759-5778, December.
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    Cited by:

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    4. Ana Iglesias & David Santillán & Luis Garrote, 2018. "On the Barriers to Adaption to Less Water under Climate Change: Policy Choices in Mediterranean Countries," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 32(15), pages 4819-4832, December.
    5. Pengcheng Qin & Hongmei Xu & Min Liu & Lüliu Liu & Chan Xiao & Iman Mallakpour & Matin Rahnamay Naeini & Kuolin Hsu & Soroosh Sorooshian, 2022. "Projected impacts of climate change on major dams in the Upper Yangtze River Basin," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 170(1), pages 1-24, January.
    6. Decker, Christopher, 2018. "Utility and regulatory decision-making under conditions of uncertainty: Balancing resilience and affordability," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 51-60.
    7. Mahsa Mirdashtvan & Ali Najafinejad & Arash Malekian & Amir Sa’doddin, 2021. "Sustainable Water Supply and Demand Management in Semi-arid Regions: Optimizing Water Resources Allocation Based on RCPs Scenarios," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(15), pages 5307-5324, December.
    8. Rishma Chengot & Jerry W. Knox & Ian P. Holman, 2021. "Evaluating the Feasibility of Water Sharing as a Drought Risk Management Tool for Irrigated Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    9. Erica Vassoney & Andrea Mammoliti Mochet & Claudio Comoglio, 2020. "Multicriteria Analysis for the Assessment of Flow Release Scenarios from a Hydropower Plant in the Alpine Region," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(2), pages 637-651, January.
    10. Giuseppe Rossi & David J. Peres, 2023. "Climatic and Other Global Changes as Current Challenges in Improving Water Systems Management: Lessons from the Case of Italy," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 37(6), pages 2387-2402, May.
    11. Araceli Martin-Candilejo & Francisco J. Martin-Carrasco & Ana Iglesias & Luis Garrote, 2023. "Heading into the Unknown? Exploring Sustainable Drought Management in the Mediterranean Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.
    12. Monika Zdeb & Justyna Zamorska & Dorota Papciak & Agata Skwarczyńska-Wojsa, 2021. "Investigation of Microbiological Quality Changes of Roof-Harvested Rainwater Stored in the Tanks," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-19, October.
    13. Pedro Beça & António C. Rodrigues & João P. Nunes & Paulo Diogo & Babar Mujtaba, 2023. "Optimizing Reservoir Water Management in a Changing Climate," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 37(9), pages 3423-3437, July.

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